Bhakta Mark – USA: “In his purport to SB 8.20.30, Srila Prabhupada compares the plight of Gajendra, king of the elephants, to that of his own disciples. The instruction he offers in this regard is a revelation.”

Srimad Bhagavatam
Canto 8, Chapter 2, TEXT 30

Translation

Thereafter, because of being pulled into the water and fighting for many long years, the elephant became diminished in his mental, physical and sensual strength. The crocodile, on the contrary, being an animal of the water, increased in enthusiasm, physical strength and sensual power.

Purport

In the fighting between the elephant and the crocodile, the difference was that although the elephant was extremely powerful, he was in a foreign place, in the water. During one thousand years of fighting, he could not get any food, and under the circumstances his bodily strength diminished, and because his bodily strength diminished, his mind also became weak and his senses less powerful. The crocodile, however, being an animal of the water, had no difficulties. He was getting food and was therefore getting mental strength and sensual encouragement. Thus while the elephant became reduced in strength, the crocodile became more and more powerful. Now, from this we may take the lesson that in our fight with maya we should not be in a position in which our strength, enthusiasm and senses will be unable to fight vigorously. Our Krsna consciousness movement has actually declared war against the illusory energy, in which all the living entities are rotting in a false understanding of civilization. The soldiers in this Krsna consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are divisions of varnasrama—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, it is advised that no one take sannyasa.

From this we can understand that in this age the sannyasa-asrama is forbidden because people are not strong. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed us an example in taking sannyasa at the age of twenty-four years, but even Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya advised Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be extremely careful because He had taken sannyasa at an early age. For preaching we give young boys sannyasa, but actually it is being experienced that they are not fit for sannyasa. There is no harm, however, if one thinks that he is unfit for sannyasa; if he is very much agitated sexually, he should go to the asrama where sex is allowed, namely the grhastha-asrama. That one has been found to be very weak in one place does not mean that he should stop fighting the crocodile of maya. One should take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, as we shall see Gajendra do, and at the same time one can be a grhastha if he is satisfied with sexual indulgence. There is no need to give up the fight. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore recommended, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. One may stay in whichever asrama is suitable for him; it is not essential that one take sannyasa. If one is sexually agitated, he can enter the grhastha-asrama. But one must continue fighting. For one who is not in a transcendental position, to take sannyasa artificially is not a very great credit. If sannyasa is not suitable, one may enter the grhastha-asrama and fight maya with great strength. But one should not give up the fighting and go away.”

I find this story to be a perfect metaphor to describe the plight of the loyal students of HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Gajendra the king of elephants represents those loyal students and disciples now in exile.

The crocodile represents the Mis-leaders who usurped Iskcon properties, both physical and intellectual, populated its GBC, as well as the offices of temple president and secretary.

The crocodile Mis-leaders pulled the loyalists into the waters of material illusion and turmoil, where they thrive. First they gained the upper hand by using deception and forceful methods, turning every temple into a place of materialistic dominion. Being naturally of such strong demoniac and material tendencies, they thrive in such waters and remain in their strength.

While the relatively more honest and pious loyalists wished to follow the transcendental authority of the Founder Acarya. They were at a disadvantage in numbers coupled with unwillingness to stoop the same level of sinister manipulation as the demons in order to fight them.

To further compound their plight, the loyalists were denied access to certain of the Founder’s strategic instructions that were crucial to understanding how to organize and cooperate in a way which utilizes materialistic influences without artificial renunciation of those aspects of life which give us strength, enthusiasm, and sensual power.

Those spiritual instructions were obscured and hidden away by the mis-leaders who agreed between themselves to NEVER act upon them as doing so would ruin their materialistic plans to enjoy the society’s assets for their own aggrandizement.

Thus, the loyalists not only found themselves banned, beaten, and effectively exiled onto the streets of the world to fend for themselves, but were also ill-equipped to understand how to come together in strength to carry on. The loyalists don’t get the same strength from the bogus food found in the material waters as the Crocs obtain from it. The loyalists need Prasadam, food gained from spiritual activities, in order to increase their strength.

As of today, the loyalists having been stuck in the waters of material ignorance fighting the crocodile mis-leaders for many long years, have become weary in mind, body and senses. They have unwittingly been fighting on the terms most favorable to the Crocs, who, as animals of the water of materialism at heart, have dominated the fight while increasing in enthusiasm, physical strength, and sensual power. The misleaders get fed, while the loyalists, who only wish to eat prasadam, have been starved.

Enter Srila Prabhupada’s advice.
“Now, from this we may take the lesson that in our fight with maya we should not be in a position in which our strength, enthusiasm and senses will be unable to fight vigorously. Our Krsna consciousness movement has actually declared war against the illusory energy, in which all the living entities are rotting in a false understanding of civilization. The soldiers in this Krsna consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are divisions of varnasrama—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa.”

_______________________________________

If the loyalists can come together to engage in Sankirtana by putting themselves in a normal condition of life, we are promised that strength, enthusiasm, and sensual power will result.

The demons derive real strength, enthusiasm, and sensual power from self-centered enslavement of others and rape of the earth. They divide labor according to Smarta material calculations. They will not profit spiritually.

Loyalists can derive real strength, enthusiasm, and sensual power from acting within the system of Daivi Varnasrama. By following those spiritual instructions we can take advantage of those same powers to fight Maya and push on the Sankirtana movement, effectively renouncing the material use of them by engaging them in spiritual life, and assuring no sinful reaction in the process.

As Srila Prabhupada states, one should not give up fighting and go away.

He gave extensive and specific instructions for how each varna should tailor its duties to benefit the Sankirtana movement in Kali Yuga. This is information beyond the general knowledge given in scripture regarding the varnas and asramas. It was generated by his mercy as he observed and assessed the distinct material conditioning of the western influenced world as reflected in the behavior of his disciples.

Although the mis-leaders of Iskcon obscured and ignored these instructions, they were not able hide them altogether. Some disciples have identified key conversations where a large majority can be found, as well as some lectures and purports.

There are Bhaktas who gather there who have already made great strides in researching, selecting, and collating this information for distribution. But there is more work to be done. A great education is there to be gained in the research, as well as viewing the finished products.

Currently 10 of the most relevant and crucial conversations are on file in chronological order, in the “Key DVD conversations” file folder. I promise that reading these will be eye-opening, dogma challenging, and paradigm shifting.

Also, in the forum archives there are almost 2 years worth of in depth discussions among members who probed these very topics.

The next phase is to gather purports and lectures, work on forming the Canon Law that Srila Prabhupada wished to create, and to discuss practical solutions to manifest a community effort among students and disciples.

Please feel free to drop by, the forum group is open to the public for viewing, and membership is free if you would like to help build the database and participate in discussions.

3 Comments so far:

That was a good analogy of us here and now. We are definitely Ganjendra IN the water. I think I hear crickets chirping it is so quiet here. Now if you had brought up the ONE rtvik letter and the ONE rtvik conversation, then boy howdy robot posting time! I guess the prospect of fame adoration and distinction whether rtvik or guru is just to tantalizing to ignore. As apposed to a DVD system that puts all anomalies into perspective(IN THEIR PLACE) and nobody get the SEAT(Vyasasana)!

First printing of this book SB 8.1 is in 1976. I hear all the time, that big, big devotee knows all these verses or this devotee say yes, yes I have read the SB many times. Maybe we should look to those that have honestly NEVER read it, so they can read the SB for the FIRST time, honestly.

I have noticed a vyasasana aspirant who posts on this board with the initials "G.N.dasa" He is all over every ritvik thread claiming he accepts the ritvik order "BUT"… fill in the blank with the flavor of the day nitpick.

For example today he is certain he has foiled the ritivk system's continuance because he says that Prabhupada is not there to receive the names to put in his book.

As RCB points out, without understanding the DVD instructions in relation to the DOM, Ritvik system, GBC, and temple hierarchy, a person can't understand how easy it would be to do things like replacing a ritvik rep, or appointing a secretary to do what Prabhupada's secretaries did, which was to add new names to Prabhupada's disciple book "on his behalf".

Without following the DVD instructions, there MUST be some autonomous Acarya figure to lead and dictate the final say IN PLACE of Srila Prabhupada.

That is the only conclusion. And the drive to be "the one" is the reason you don't see those like G.N. dasa mention DVD at all, or at most give a token mention followed by something like "its not really practical in this age" or "no-one wants to do it", or "Pure Vaisnava this, Pure devotional service that".

At the end of any one of his/their presentations they always leave the reader with exactly what they started with. NO hope, NO soultion, Plenty of Rhetoric, and yet another self-nomination for Acarya of the Year.